Television receiver cabinet



Oct. 26, 1942. H. w. JOHNSON ET AL ,3

TELEVISION RECEIVER CABINET Filed Oct; 31, 1940 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l l 2 Zg 0110,19 2 H..w. JOHNSON Em 2,299,393

TELEVISION'RECEIVER CABINET Filed Oct. 31, 1 940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Got. 20, 1942 assess;

TELEVHSHQN RECEEVER CABINET Henry W. Johnson, Bloomfield, N. 3., andSamuel B. Smith, White Plains, N. Y assign Radio ornoration oil orDelaware ore to America, a corporation Application Qetober 31, rest,Serial No. man I (on. lid-2&5?

7 Claims. This invention relates to television systems, and

'more particularly to television receiver cabinets.

in viewing a screen upon-which there is projected a light image, it hasbeen found that improvcment in image viewing results when it is possibleto maintain the area adjacent the screen reasonably free from extraneouslight. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide aconstruction of a television receiver cabinet wherein there is includeda suitable means to eliminate the extraneous light, such as that due toroom illumination, which is usually present at the location of atelevision receiver for the convenience of the observers.

Furthermore, if a suitable shade is provided for the viewing screen, thetelevision receiver may be conveniently operated during the daylighthours.

I some instances television receivers are viewed by relatively largegroups of observers so that it is necessary to distribute the groupthroughout a relatively large viewing angle across the front of thereceiver if the observers are to remain reasonably close to the viewedscreen in order to appreciate fully the image reproduction. A permanentscreen shade or shaders box would necessarily reduce the usable viewingangle and, therefore, would render the receiver less flexible to wideuse than would be a receiver where the viewer could chose whether or notthe shadow box would be used.

According to this invention, a television cabinet is provided with a lidadapted to cover the viewing screen when the lid is in a closedposition, and when the lid is opened, there are provided sectorshapedelements adjacent the opposite edges of the lid, whereby the extraneouslight which ordinarily enters upon the viewing screen from the sides ofthe cabinet is shielded or masked from the usual television imagereproducing tube.

Furthermore, there is provided means for detaching the sector-shapedelements from the lid so that the lid may be raised, at the selection ofthe user, without the sector-shaped element, whereby a large group ofpersons spread over a wide angle in front of the television receiver mayview the image screen.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a televisionreceiving cabinet adapted to prezent extraneous light from impingingupon the ptical image screen.

Another object of this invention is to provide neans for increasing theviewing angle of a haded television screen in order to accommodate argegroups of observers.

. approximately a 45 Other and incidental objects of the invention willbe apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the followingspecification and an inspection or the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a television receiving cabinetincluding one form of this invention,

Figure 2 shows another form of this invention,

Figure 3 is a side view showing the means for disconnecting the shadingmember, and

Figure 4 is a front View of the disconnecting means. I

Referring now in more detail to Fig. l, the television receiver cabineti houses the complete radio sound and television image receiverapparatus by which received television video and control signals maycause a television image to be reproduced upon the viewing target orscreen l of a cathode ray image reproducing tube, as is known in the artand illustrated by way of example by Zworykin Patent 1,870,702. In oneform of television receiver which has been widely used '(as set forth.by the said Zworylrin patent) the cabinet is provided with a lid 3 whichis hinged to the upper surface of the cabinet along the edge 5. Theimage producing area i of the cathode ray image reproducing tube ispositioned in a vertical position in the cabinet and there is provided amirror or reflecting surface 9 on the bottom side of the lid 3, wherebythe image producing area ll may be observed from the front of thecabinet due to the reflection of the area i in the mirror s when the 11d3 is raised so as to be inclined in position relative to the cabinet.While the mirror surface 9 is usually planar it is, of course, obviousthat it may be slightly concave or convex toward the observer wheredesired.

There are shown sector-shaped bellows ll of opaque or light screeningmaterial secured near the edges of lid 3 adjacent the hinged edge 5 andextending in a plane perpendicular to and between lid 3 and the uppersurface of the receiving cabinet 5.

It will be seen that when the lid 3 of the cabinet l is in a closedposition, the bellows of opaque material it will collapse in a planeperpendicular to the upper surface of the cabinet and the lid 3 and,similarly, when the lid of the cabinet is opened (as shown) the lightmasking meiiber ll will tend to shade the viewing screen 1 fromextraneous light entering from the cabinet.

Turning now to Fig. 2, wherein like numerals sides of the operator.which extends through a hole in the closed position.

- group of refer to similar parts, the cabinet I contains a lid 3 hingedto the upper surface of the cabinet along its rear edge 5. 'lhelid 3 isprovided with a mirror e, whereby the image produced onthe viewingscreen I is reflected toward the front.

According to this form of the invention, fiat sector elements I3. aresecured near the edges of lid 3 adjacent to the hinged edge 5 and extendin a plane perpendicular to and between lid 3 and the upper surface ofthe cabinet I. Slits I5 are provided in the upper surface of the cabinetI so that when the lid is closed, the sectorshaped elements l3 drop downinto the cabinet I along its sides.

As previously explained, it often is desirable to permit a wide angle ofobservation of the image producing area 1. Therefore, according to oneform of the invention, a means is provided whereby the opaque lightmasking member I3 may be disconnected and the image producing area I maybe, viewed in'the reflecting surface 9 over'a wide angle by a largenumber of people.

Fig. 3 is a side view and Fig. 4 a front view of a cabinet in whichameans is provided for disconnecting 'the opaque shading member. Knob I1is positioned in the edge of the front of the lid and in a positionconvenient to the The knob I1 is connected to a rod I9 lid 3 and in theplane of the lid 3. There are a'pluralit'y of openings 2I through whichextend hook-like members 23 which are joined to rod IS. The hook-likemembers extend outwardly from the bottom of the lid 3 through theopening ,2I. At the upper edge of the opaque member I3 there areprovided openings 25 which are so positioned along the upper edge of theopaque member I3 that the hook-like members 23 are adapted to engage theopenings 25 when the lid is in the When the lid is.opened, the opaquemember I3 will be lifted up in its shading position.

However, when it is desired to permit a large observers to view thescreen I over a more comfortable wide angle, the opaque member I3 may bedisconnected from the lid by pushing in on the button raised, wherebythe books 23 will disengage from the openings 25 in the upper edge ofthe opaque screen I3.

4 It is obvious that the opaque member in the form of a bellows may alsobe adapted to be disconnected in a manner similar to that shown in Figs.3 and 4, in which case t-he bellows will collapse on the upper surfaceoi the cabinet I and permit viewing from a wide angle across the frontof the cabinet.

While several systems tion into effect have been indicated anddescribed, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that thisinvention is by no means limited to the particular organizationshown'and described, but that many modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of this invention asset forth in the appendedclaims.

We claim as our invention: 1 1. In a television system including acabinet I1 as the lid is being for carrying this invenhaving in onemember thereof an image producing area, the combination of a lid hingedat one of its edges to said member, a view reflecting surface supportedby the lid and facing the image producing area, light shields securednear the edges of said lid adjacent to said hinged edge and extending ina plane perpendicular to and between saidiid and said memberincludingsaid ing a rod in said lid having extensions stantially thefill distance image producing area, and means operative from the outsideof said cabinet to disengage said light shields from said lid when saidlid is in a closed position.

2. In a television system including a cabinet having in one memberthereof an image produc-. ing area, the combination of a lid hinged at"one of its edges to said member, a view reflecting surface supported bythe lid and facing the picture screen, and opaque screens eachdetachabiy secured near the edges of said lid adjacent to said hingededge by a rod extending beyond the edge of said lid and normallyengaging said opaque screens and wherein a movement of said rods willdisengage said rods from said screens and said opaque screens extendingin a plane perpendicular to and extending substantially the fulldistance between said lid and said member v including said imageproducing area.

3. In an image reproducing system including 1 a cabinet having in onemember thereof an image producing area, the combination of a lid hingedat one of its edges to said member, a view reflecting surface supportedby the lid and facing said image producing area, and means compristionedthereon and adapted to engage corresponding openings in opaque screensextending in a plane perpendicular to and extending subbetwcen said lidand said member including said image producing area and wherein said rodis movable to at least two positions, one position of which causes saidextensions to disengage said openings in said screens.

4. In a television system including a cabinet having in one member ingarea, the combination of a lid hinged at one of its edges to saidmember, a. view reflectin surface supported by the lid and facing saidimage producing area, light shields extending in a plane perpendicularto and between said lid and said member and detachably secured near theedges of said lid adjacent to said hinged edge each by arod havingextensions thereon and movable to two positions, one position of whichcauses said extensions toengage corresponding openings in said lightshields.

5. In a television system including a cabinet having in one memberthereof an image producing area, the combination of a lid hinged at oneof its edges to said member, a view reflecting surface supported by thelid and facing said image producing area, light shields extending in aplane perpendicular to and between said lid and said member anddetachably secured near the edges of said lid adjacent to said hingededge each by a rod having extensions thereon and movable totwopositions, one position of which causes said extensions to engagecorresponding openings in said opaque members, and said surfacev havingopenings therein to receive said light shields. v

6. In a television system including a cabinet having in one memberthereof an image producing.area, the combination of a lid hinged at oneof its edges to said member, a view reflecting surface supported by thelid and facing said image producing area, bellows of opaque mate'- rialextending in a plane perpendicular to and between said lid and saidmember and detachably secured near the edges of said lid adjacent tosaid hinged edge each by a rod having extensions thereon and movable totwo positions. one position of which causes said extensions toposithereof an image producengage corresponding openings in saidbellows.

7. In an image reproducing system including a cabinet having in onemember thereof an image producing area, the combination of a lid hingedat one of its edges to said member, a view refleeting surface supportedby the lid and facing said image producing area, light shields extendingin a plane perpendicular to and between said said light shields up lidand said memberand detachably seemed near the edges of said lid adjacentto said hinged edge each by a rod extending outside said cabinet whensaid lid is in a closed position and said rod having means thereon fordisengaging

